Filament feeding apparatus



April 19, 1932. R. KUNATH FILAMENT FEEDING APPARATUS Filed July 28.,1930 .4 NVEN TUE. p0 KUNA TH Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE RUDOLF KUNATH, F IBERLIN-TEIPELHOF, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB '10 GENERALELEG- TRIO COMPANY, A CORPORA'J!ION OF NEW YORK FILAMENT FEEDIN GAPPARATUS Application flled July 28, 1980, Serial No.

My invention relates to devices for feeding coiled filaments such as areused in electric incandescent lamps and similar articles to a filamentmounting machine or other device. More particularly my inventioncomprises a receptacle for a plurality of such filaments and a conveyorin whichthe filaments are received and transported one by one to asuitable discharge point. The said conveyor is a rotating disc whichextends through a slot in the receptacle and has on 'its periphery aseries .of pockets each adapted to receive a separate coiled filament asthe rotation of the said disc brings that particular pocket intoregistry withthe said slot..

Each pocket is provided with one or more movable jaws and thearrangement is such that, as a pocket reaches loading position,

each jaw is opened to allow the pocket to 2 receive a coil andafterwards closed to retain said coil. Finally each jaw is opened as thepocket reaches discharge position. Additional features and advantages ofmy invention will a pear from the description which follows of a speciesthereof and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan viewof anembodiment of my invention; Figs. 3 and 4 are end and side elevations onan enlarged scale of a portion of the device.

Referring to the drawings, a shaft 1 supported by frame 2 so that it maybe constantly rotated by a drive row disc 3 fastenedthereon, theperlpherv of which extends through a slot 4 in the center of the bottomof a trough 5 which has awidth corresponding to the length of filamentused. In this trough 5 which is fastened to a bracket 6 of thesupporting frame 2, the coiled filaments 7 are piled up so that they arestraight or approximately so. Pockets 8 are provided in the peripheralsurface of the rotating disc 3 at uniform disonly one coiled filamentcan deposit itself in each pocket at a time. For each pocket there isprovided a pair of gripping devices com- (not shown) hasa nar-.

tances, in which the coiled filaments 7 fall" 471,898, and in GermanyAugust 17, 1929.

prising jaws 9 and 10, each pivoted on a stud 11 which passes throughthe rotating disc. The longer or double-armed plier jaws 9 carry rollers12 which are kept by means of springs 13 in contact with a stationarynotched disc 14 which is fastened to the supporting frame 2. This discserves to move the plier jaws 9 and 10 somewhat back and forth duringthe rotation of the disc and to keep them in definite positions withregard 00 to the pockets 8. As lon as the rollers 12 are on the higherpart 0 the notched disc 14, the top ends of the plier jaws which end atthe peripheral surface 3, lie against the pockets 8 without preventingthe entrance a5 and exit of the coiled filaments in these pockets 8.However, as soon as the rollers 12 fall on the lower peripheral partofthe notched disc, which will be the case shortly after the entrance ofthe pockets and plier jaws into the trough 5 and pile of filaments, thetop end of each plier jaw moves over a pocket 8 and grips the coiledfilament which has fallen into the said pocket. The coiled filaments arethereby solidly enclosed in the pockets and as the disc 3 rotatesfurther are pulled out of the trough 5. As the coiled filaments arefastened only at their center which lies in the pocket, they will hangdown with their ends on both sides of the disc 3 after the exit from thetrough. At the side of the notched disc 14 which is farthest away fromtrough 5, the plier jaws 9 and 10 are pulled back from the pockets 8 asthe rollers 12 again run on the higher peripheral part 8 of the notcheddisc 14. The top ends of the plier jaws then release the coiled filamentwhichhas already moved past the horizontal position so that it can fallon a slide 15. The latter guides the coiled filament to the place whereit is to be used.

. A pusher plate 16 is provided to advantage in trou h 5, as shown,which is subjected to the action of a spring 17, and constantly pushesthe whole pile of filaments downwards and keeps them in contact with theperiphery of the rotating disc 3. This ensures that a coiled filamentwill be pressed into each pocket as it enters the-trough. By means ofslip springs or brushes 18 provided at the exit of'the slot 4 in thetrough, 1111- gripped coiled filaments which are taken along by theperipheral surface of the disc 3 on account of friction arepreventedfrom leaving the trough 5. .In order to ensure africtionlesspassage of the disc 3 through the trough and the pile of filaments 7,the

. plier jaws 9 and 10 are mounted to advantage in recesses 19 in thedisc 3 as shown.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a filament feeding device, the combination of a receptacle havinga slot in thd bottom thereof, a rotatable disc mounted so that itsperipheral edge is adjacent the said slot and having one or more pocketsin said edge, one or'more gripping devices pivoted on the side of saiddisc and each shaped andv disposedso that one end portion thereof en-'gages the top portion of a filament located.

in one of said ;-p ockets, means for rotating said disc, and a camengaging the other end of said gripping device and shaped to open andclose said device against said filament as the said disc rotates. I

' 2. In a filament feeding device, the combination of a receptaclehaving a slot in the bottom thereof, a rotatable disc mounted so thatits peripheral edge is adjacent the said I slot and having one or morepockets in said edge, one or more pairs of gripping devices pivoted oneon each side of said discand each device shaped and disposed so that oneend portion thereof engages the top portion of a filament located in oneof said pockets, means for rotating said disc, and a cam engaging theother end of said gripping device and shaped to open and close saiddevice against said filament as the said disc rotates. 3. In a filamentfeeding device, the combination of a receptacle having a slot in thebottom thereof, a rotatable disc mounted so that its peripheral edge isadjacent the said slot and having one or more pockets in said edge, oneor more gripping devices disposed in slots in said-disc and pivoted onthe side of said disc and each shaped and disposed so that one endportion thereof engages the top portion of a filament located in one ofsaid pockets, means for rotating saiddisc,

and a cam engaging the other end of said gripping device and shapedtoopen and close said device against said filament as the said discrotates.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of July,:1930.

RUDOLF KUNATH.

